How should art respond to the great evils of our time? When faced with moral and existential problems—of bombs and their profiteers, of poverty and its enablers, of greed immemorial—what is the role of the artist in a democratic society? Most importantly, is there a kind of visual language that goes beyond the realm of aesthetics and inspires dissent in the viewer? That art would surely serve a political purpose beyond just informing and reflecting. That would be art to change the world.

Thank you for signing up!

By clicking submit, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge we may use your information to send you emails, product samples, and promotions on this website and other properties. You can opt out anytime.

These ideas are explored in “Archive of Dissent,” an exhibition of Peter Kennard’s work currently on display at London’s Whitechapel Gallery. The exhibition’s location is appropriate. Whitechapel was once a library that, in Kennard’s words, was “a sanctuary from poverty” and “a place to develop radical and dissident ideas about art, literature and politics.” The show’s most recent installation, entitled The People’s University of the East End (2024), is named after the former library space, harkening back to the building’s original role as a hub for resilience, empowerment and activism.

An activist mentality runs through the entire exhibition. Kennard’s career can be characterized as one long scream of anger or perhaps one long cry for resistance. Indeed, Kennard is not an artist focused on........

© Observer